CHAPTER 44: LAWSUIT

The room fell silence and for a moment, Stefan just sat there, the words echoing inside him. Leave? Would Ivy do something like that?

His jaw tensed slightly. Is it because she’s tired of being by my side? The thought stung more than he expected.

What could she be sneaking out? What could be in the box? Was she truly leaving him? Was his blindness getting to her? Had she always wanted to leave or was it a recent development?

Could it be true? Stefan thought, different thoughts and scenerios filling his head.

Fear was already gripping his mind, playing a truck on his head when her words "I got you" replayed in his head and then he remembered everything that had been going on in the past week.

How drastically she had changed. The warmth in her touch. Their sex the night before. The way her lips trembled when she whispered that she didn’t want to stop. The way she clung to him like he was her anchor.

No. That woman—who held him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded—was not someone who would run away. If she wanted to run, she would have done so a long time ago.

He shook his head firmly. "It’s probably a misunderstanding," he said finally.

Martin hesitated. Though he wanted to say it was possible, he decided against it.

"I understand it could be a misunderstanding, but should you call her? Just to be sure?" he asked instead.

Stefan sighed. "Fine. If that’ll ease your mind," Stefan said as he handed Martin his phone so he could help him dial her line.

Martin took the phone and dialed Ruby’s line before returning the phone to Stefan.

She picked up on the third ring, her voice light and teasing. "Already missing me, Mr. Winters?" she said with a chuckle. "I haven’t even reached the salon yet."

Stefan’s lips tugged into a smile, relief blooming in his chest. "Just checking."

"Don’t worry," she said softly. "I’ll be back soon. You don’t have to call me evert second," she teased.

He held the phone to his ear for a second longer, as if trying to memorize the sound of her voice before letting out a chuckle. "Alright. Take your time, babe."

After the call ended, he leaned back and turned his head to Martin.

"You see?" Stefan said with quiet certainty. "It was nothing. My Ivy would never leave me."

Martin nodded, still slightly unsure but trusting his master’s judgment.

And Stefan sat there, heart settling again, choosing to believe in the woman who had, in just one week, turned his world into something far gentler than he’d ever imagined. He shouldn’t have never doubted her.

In her car, Ruby frowned as she sat behind the wheel, the engine humming softly as she drove down their street.

Why did he call?

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Stefan’s voice had sounded normal—warm, even—but still, something about the timing didn’t sit right. Her mind kept going back to the maid she’d seen by the corner of the garage. The way the woman’s eyes had widened when she saw the box Ruby was carrying. Did she go and say something?

Ruby sighed and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Of course she did. That had to explain it," she muttered under her breath. "And Stefan probably wanted to check if I was sneaking away or something."

A sharp pang of guilt stabbed at her chest. Not because she was doing something wrong—but because she hated lying to him. Even if she had good reasons.

What if he asks me about the box? What would I even say?

Her mind flipped through a bunch of ideas. A donation? Clothes for dry cleaning? Old stuff I want to throw out? None of them seemed convincing enough.

She leaned her head briefly back against the headrest at a red light. Whatever. If he asks, I’ll just say whatever comes to mind. It’s not like I’m actually leaving him or doing anything wrong...

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Still, her chest felt heavy as the car moved through the streets of Zeden.

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When she reached the hotel Rayna had texted her, she parked quickly and pulled the box from the trunk, making her way to the elevator. Her heart was still thudding a little faster than normal. Maybe because of Stefan’s unexpected call. Maybe because she knew she had to say goodbye to her best friend soon.

She reached the third floor and walked down the corridor to room 306. Lifting her hand, she knocked twice.

A moment later, the door creaked open, and Rayna stood there, barefoot in her sweats, her curly hair piled messily on her head. But it wasn’t her appearance that caught Ruby’s attention—it was the worried frown on her face.

Ruby’s eyebrows knit together immediately. "What’s wrong? Are you okay?"

Rayna pulled her into the room without a word and shut the door behind them. Ruby barely had time to set the box down before Rayna let out a long breath.

"One of my new writers sold a story from an unverified source," she began, her voice tight with panic. "And now the person the story is about is suing the blog."

Ruby blinked, stunned. "What? Suing?"

Rayna nodded, pacing. "Yeah. They said the article defamed them. They want a retraction, an apology, and damages. Real damages."

"Oh my god, Ray..." Ruby sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?"

Rayna stopped pacing and turned to her. "Not really. I need to go back—like now. Handle it. My assistant’s freaking out and I’ve already got legal breathing down my neck."

Ruby stared at her, still trying to process everything. "But... how are you even going to do that? I mean, flights, bookings—"

"I already called the airline," Rayna interrupted. "There’s a flight in three hours. I just need to be at the airport in time. Thank God my bag is still packed."

Ruby rubbed her forehead. "Rayna... this is insane. How could someone just go behind your back like that?"

"I hired her two months ago. She seemed bright. Creative. But now I’m not even sure she’s the one who got the story or if she stole it. Either way, it’s on my platform. My brand."

Ruby looked at her best friend and saw the tension in her jaw, the way her shoulders sagged under invisible pressure.

Rayna wasn’t the type to panic easily. If she looked this shaken, then it had to be serious.

Ruby stood and crossed the room to hug her. "I’m so sorry, Ray."

Rayna hugged her back tightly. "I didn’t want to drag you into this. But I couldn’t just vanish without seeing you especially after I’ve texted you."

Ruby pulled back, her eyes soft. "You’re not dragging me, Ray. It’s because of me you’re here in the first place. Maybe if you’d been over there, this wouldn’t have happened. I’ll take you to the airport. Just give me a second."

They double-checked her flight information, and then headed back down to Ruby’s car with the box Rayna had brought.

As they drove toward the airport, the silence between them was heavy but not uncomfortable.

"You think this will ruin your blog?" Ruby asked quietly, keeping her eyes on the road.

Rayna sighed. "I don’t know. I really hope not. I’ve worked too hard to build it. But... lawsuits like this? They can tear through your reputation overnight. Especially if the media picks it up."

Ruby reached over and squeezed her hand. "You’re going to fix this. I know you will."

Rayna offered a small smile. "I’m just sorry I have to leave so soon. I wanted to stay a little longer... be here for you."

Ruby blinked, her throat suddenly tight. "You already have been. More than you know."

Rayna didn’t push, just nodded. "I’m gonna miss you."

"I’ll miss you too."

When they finally got to the airport, Ruby pulled up by the departure terminal. She stepped out with Rayna and helped with her luggage.

They stood in front of the automatic glass doors, neither of them ready to say goodbye.

"I’ll call as soon as I land," Rayna said, her voice quiet.

"You better," Ruby replied with a weak smile. "And keep me updated, okay? No disappearing acts."

Rayna nodded, her eyes glassy. "Don’t let everything overwhelm you here, Rubes. Take care of yourself. And him."

Ruby nodded slowly. "I will."

They hugged again—longer this time—and when they pulled apart, Rayna gave her one last wink before wheeling her bag toward the doors.

Ruby stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the crowd, her heart thudding fast in her rib cage.

Then she turned back to her car, her chest feeling heavier than before. The mansion, Stefan, the lies... everything suddenly felt a little more complicated without Rayna just one room away.

I’ll be okay, she told herself as she climbed into the car and drove off.

But she wasn’t quite sure if she believed it.